Uncertainty Continues Over Fee Increases

Published: September - 2007

Confusion over an announced last-minute fee increase in Tanzania is still roiling the safari industry as this issue goes to press. The problem in a nutshell is this the announced fee increases appear to be legally still on the books in Tanzania at press time, and that is causing some safari companies and agents to assume they have to collect the new fees, no matter what kind of reassuring words are emanating from the offices of TAHOA (Tanzania Hunting Operators Association).

You'll recall from my report last month that TAHOA President Gerard Pasanisi has taken the position all along that the industry is protected from last-minute fee increases by an agreement TAHOA has with the government that fee increases must be announced at least nine months in advance. He has urged everyone to relax and go hunting. The new fees absolutely are not in effect, he told The Hunting Report last month.

Meanwhile, this reassurance has not been helpful to an unknown number of subscribers who have had their safaris disrupted by the new fees. Subscriber Tom Powell, for example, tells me Zuka Safaris cut his 21-day safari to 11 days because of the new fees. We've heard from other subscribers who say their companies simply cancelled their safaris. Worse still, shortly before press time, a subscriber who asked me not to use his name called me with frantic word that his agent was telling him that he had to agree to pay the new fees for a safari starting in 10 days or his refusal to do so would be considered a last-minute cancellation, which would result in him forfeiting all of the monies he had paid namely, $50,000. As this issue goes to press, it appears the problem with this safari company has been resolved. The US agent for the safari, apparently, had misunderstood the situation.

Here at The Hunting Report, I am taking the position that all of these misunderstandings about the new fees are just that misunderstandings, not attempts to profiteer. However, I am hearing........(continued)